From Contraband To Charlotte's School To Freeman's Bureau

JPK Huson 1863

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
Joined
Feb 14, 2012
Location
Central Pennsylvania
This is not meant to be as all-encompassing a thread as the title implies. What it is, is intended to bring our fellow citizens forward from 1861 to the establishment of an organization know as The Freedman's Bureau. Please excuse the skipping over individual stories of unknown yet unimaginable bravery, sacrifice and determination as an entire race shook off literal, psychological, sociological and indeed- shackles of hidouesly real rusty steel.

Say what contentious thing you like on the topic of General Ben Butler ( but do not, please, start another thread? ), his brilliant stroke in declaring these prisoners ' contraband ' aided the escaped prisoners themselves, the freedom seekers smelling cool, clean fresh air streaming, unstoppable from the Erath's core itself 'neath dank cell doors represented by enslavement. Hope.

And so they left, and so so they came- uncounted numbers, our fellow citizens. Chaos made into order through the efforts of patient, kind teachers like Charlotte Forten
http://www.blackpast.org/aah/grimke-charlotte-forten-1837-1914
http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/maai/identity/text3/charlottefortenjournal.pdf

and Northern teachers opening schools by the day, there were still destitute and supposedly free black families homeless, starving, women and children adrift. Shockingly, frequently the same Union Army our balck troops scrambled to join and served so faithfully rejected the families of these soldiers, literally leaving them to starve outside military posts and forts. Another tragedy suffered. Cannot imagine. It was increasingly clear these victims of a centuries old injustice, now ' free' remained open to unthinkable fresh injustices.

Organzations composed of the strong community of successful black business owners, leaders like Elizabeth Keckley sprang into action providing relief, much of it, structuring relief in forms most effective for food and sheleter and job training. Eventually- and to make a long story horribly brief, our government awakened to this giant need. The Freeman's bureau deserves a separate thread or 6. This thread, thought I'd like to acknowledge the small beginnings, the schools, the people, the early separate threads eventually drawn together into the strong and unbreakable rope, or macadam road, the Freedman's Bureau and life beyond.

Schools, both Freedman's Schools and those similar to Charlotte Forten's Penn School, or Penn Academy- still there, too, a hugely respected academic institution.

Not a school, couldn't resist, Freedman's first vote, Palentine, Texas
freedmans first vote palentine texas 1860s.JPG



Someone will ID where this Freedman's school is, one of many springing up as a result of the thirst for sheer knowledge our fellow citizens had- so long denied, disallowed.

freedmens-school-one.jpg
freedmens-school-two.jpg





Edisto Island, one of the war time schools there
school edisto island.jpg
school edisto islanda.jpg
school emrson 1850.jpg


Sorry about repeats!

school freddmans nc.JPG
school freedman penn center.JPG




I think this is Penn Center, long after the war
school freedman penn2.JPG
school freedmans2.JPG


school freeman penn.JPG

school freemans penn forten.JPG

Charlotte and her Penn School



One of the war time schools, I don't think it was yet a Freedman's school
school hilton head.jpg
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school s c.jpg







http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llsl&fileName=013/llsl013.db&recNum=539


More Freedman and war time schools for Butler's ' Contraband ' , on the other computer. Will get to them. The schools are an awfully good place to start, and the teachers who came to ensure an equal education for all citizens of our country. God Bless Them.
 
Charlotte Forten left a very good diary of her time in the Sea Islands. Susie King Taylor spent some of her time in the war and after teaching as well. Laura Towne(?) I think had a published diary as well.
 
Charlotte Forten left a very good diary of her time in the Sea Islands. Susie King Taylor spent some of her time in the war and after teaching as well. Laura Towne(?) I think had a published diary as well.


Yes, I remember JamesN nudged me towards looking into Charlotte I guess last year? Maybe longer. It's an awfully bittersweet journal logging her determination and successes but also her deep wounds received at the hands of a society she was disallowed participation. Robert Gould Shaw was an extremely good friend. After his death it transpired he thought enough of her to leave her an extremely lovely horse. But OHH no, not to another female and not a black female, wasn't happenening! despite Shaw's wishes, his wife refused to honor this as did his family. It was a very odd interlude in the seemingly idyllic spirit of cooperation Shaw's family displayed in being whole heartedly satisfied this man would be buried with black soldiers. Charlotte is very hurt ( she writes ) but resigned since prejudice was something she grew up with.

Thank you for the reminder- Susie King Taylor doesn't just deserve a thread she deserves a gosh darn memorial, too.
http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/taylorsu/menu.html is a link to her book,
"Reminiscences of My Life in Camp with the 33d United States Colored Troops Late 1st S. C. Volunteers. " I haven't looked but it's possible this would be on Google Books or one of the Archive collections.

Laura Towne also- think we have a thread on her somewhere but it's terribly incomplete. At the time it just was not clear to me how hugely significant her work was or how much her work impacted others. Another thread soon unless someone else gets to it
 
Thank you for the reminder- Susie King Taylor doesn't just deserve a thread she deserves a gosh darn memorial, too.
http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/taylorsu/menu.html is a link to her book,
"Reminiscences of My Life in Camp with the 33d United States Colored Troops Late 1st S. C. Volunteers. " I haven't looked but it's possible this would be on Google Books or one of the Archive collections.
You are right, JPK, Susie King Taylor's book is available for free on Archive.org. The image below links to it:

Susie King Taylor Reminiscences.jpg
 
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